Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Top 6.5 Ways to Find a Job Using Social Media by MaryEllen Gibson

Everyone looking for a job has a resume and a cover letter...What makes you different? You can stand out from the crowd by using Social Media

Top 6.5 ways to use social media to find your job:

1. Create a LinkedIn account.

* Fill all areas out fully
* Make contact with previous co-workers
* Ask for recommendation
* Join Groups
* Network

2. Create a Ping.fm account

* Create a Ping account.
* Create all the accounts in the social networks section.
* Send out Microblogs & blogs from this account.

3. Create a Facebook account

* This is not for your High School Friends be professional.
* Network with other professionals.
* Join Professional Groups.

4. Create a Twitter account

* Fill out profile completely.
* Create a background image.
* Send a Tweet through Ping.fm at least 3 times daily.

5.Create a Monster account

* Fill out your Monster profile completely
* Write a cover letter for each position

6. Start a blog (Blogger will work)

* Write a blog at least twice a week.
* Write about your perfect position.
* Write about your skills.
* Write about great successes you have had.
* Write about learning opportunities.
* Make sure to tag your blogs.

6.5 Get a Gmail account

* If you can get your firstnamelastname@gmail.com
* If you can't get your name keep the email address professional.


It is time to stand out from the rest in your job search. Let your new job find you through your social media venues.

MaryEllen Gibson is an Internet Marketing Director that has had a passion for social media before it had that fancy term. MaryEllen works with her clients to have a conversation with their future customers and current clients using social media venues. If you would like to ask her a question maryellengibson@gmail.com

5 Hints: Social Media for Wineries by MaryEllen Gibson

This morning I met with my favorite winery in Southern California. They are working on growing their Social Media. I must admit that social media is a perfect marketing tool for them because their clients want to know more about them and Facebook and Twitter is the perfect way for them to share their information.

Here are my 5 best hints for Social Media for Wineries:

1. Start a Twitter account and send out 3 tweets a day. Share information about the grapevines, tasting room, upcoming events, and life at the winery.

2. Start a Facebook . Create a Profile, Group and Page. Upload pictures regularly and to save time set up your Twitter to update your Facebook status with your Twitter.

3. Have a Blog on your website. Blog at least twice a week. It does not need to be the polished copy that you have on your website. Make it fun , playful, and welcoming. Visitors will feel like they know you before they even get to your winery.

4. Include your social media links on your website. Let your website visitors know they can find you on Social Media sites. Use familiar icons that guest will recognize.

5. If you are too afraid to start, find someone to help you.You needed to have social media outlets yesterday. Find a social media specialist. Ask to see their social media outlets. Everyone will tell you they are a specialist ask to see their work.

Is there more to social media for wineries? Yes, a lot more but I would suggest starting with Twitter, Facebook, and a blog. Be consistent. It is not enough to have an account, be sure to update your status at least three times a day and blog at least twice a week. The search engines will love you and so will your visitors. Start Today!

MaryEllen Gibson is an Internet Marketing Director that has had a passion for social media before it had that fancy term. MaryEllen works with her clients to have a conversation with their clients using social media venues. If you would like to ask her a question maryellengibson@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Researching Analytic tools for Social Media.Hubspot and Webtrends are in the running so far. Any feedback on a tool that has worked for you?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Listening to Groundswell again. Always great to sharpen the saw.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

What are your thoughts on evaluating an employee?s performance based on what a manager thinks he or she deserves, as opposed to what his or her work entails? Support your rationale with examples.

When evaluating an employee’s performance some may question if the evaluation should be based on what a manager thinks he or she deserves, as opposed to what his or her work entails. I am a believer that an employee should be evaluated on what his or her work entails. A manager needs to define performance so employees and teams know what is expected of them. Employees can then focus on effective performance. Managers should set three key elements: goals, measures, and assessment. Then it is necessary for managers to use appraisals when evaluating employees. Appraisal provide legal justification , criteria, feedback, identify developmental needs, and diagnose organizational problems. A manager that would choose to assess an employee purely on what the manager thinks of them as opposed to work details sets themselves up for possible legal actions if an employee feels they were evaluated unfairly. Appraisals allow all employees to be judged on equal standards.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Sales Leadership Training Program

MEMO TO: Senior Management Team
FROM: MaryEllen Gibson
DATE: February 9, 2009
RE: Training

Training and Mentoring Program for EnviroTech Train the Trainer Sales Program


Leadership Team Members:

Jim Martin, Vice President of Sales
Shane Huck, Sales Manager
Tom Gonzalez, Sales Manager
Susan Burnt, Sales Customer Manager
Ving Hsu, Product Educator Manager


The new training and mentoring needs:

The new leadership team will be responsible for the training needs of the sales team, for this reason it is important that the sales leadership team is educated in training and mentoring techniques. The team needs to be fluent in creating their Workplace Training Program for the sales team. A training needs assessment was given to all members of the leadership team to find out their common areas of concerns. These concerns have been incorporated into the program. There has also been a company wide analysis for determining the needs the training can fulfill:
• Organization analysis: will focus on identifying where within the EnviroTech Leadership Team training is needed.
• Demographic analysis: will be helpful in determining the special needs of a particular group within the leadership team, such as workers over 40, women, or managers at different levels. These needs will be specified at the organizational level, the business-unit level, and the individual level.
• Operations analysis: will attempt to identify the content of training—what the sales leadership team must do in order to perform competently.
• Individual analysis: will determine how well each sales member is performing the tasks that make up his or her job.

Objectives of the training and mentoring program

• The leadership team will learn to create a needs assessment for the sales team. The leadership team will be responsible for completing a needs assessment before the completion of the training program.
• The leadership team will develop strong objectives for sales training program. All objectives must be written as terminal or enabling objectives. Terminal objectives will specify what workers are required to accomplish by the end of the training. Enabling objectives will specify what workers are required to accomplish at any point in the course after receiving appropriate training.

• The leadership team will implement specific performance standards for members of the sales team.
• The leadership team will prepare multiply delivery methods for the sales training program.
• The leadership team will construct content for training and mentoring sales program according the needs addresses in company wide needs analysis.
• The leadership team will organize a time frame for the training of all sales associates in the sales department.
• The leadership team will articulate evaluation methods that will be used for the sales associates in the sales team.
• The leadership team will analyze feedback given by senior management , sales leadership team , and sales associates
• The leadership team will evaluate alternate avenues for those who need further development in the sales team.

Performance standards

Performance standards present the members of the sales leadership team with precise performance expectations for each chief responsibility. Performance standards are the recognizable behaviors and procedures which clarify how the situation is to be completed, plus the outcome that is anticipated for reasonable job performance. They tell the worker what a high-quality exercise looks like. The rationale of performance standards is to communicate expectations. EnviroTech requires performance standards to be as specific as possible. The leadership team will be expected to exceed all performance standards during training and throughout the creation of the training process. Performance Standards will address the following areas:

• Job Knowledge
• Work Product
• Customer Service
• Supervision
• Adaptability
• Dependability
• Team Work
• Integrity
• Mandatory Compliance
• Transformational Leadership

These standards will be reviewed as outstanding, meets standard, or requires improvement. If any member of the leadership team receives a score of requires improvement this member will need to improve performance in no more than three months to continue to be part of the leadership team. Members than receive consistent scores of outstanding will be recognized by the senior management team for their commitment to excellence.


Delivery methods

The training program will be delivered with seven different methods:

• Lecture
• Demonstration
• One-on-one tutorial
• Team role playing
• Team projects
• On the job training
• E-learning

The first series of trainings will be offered in five consecutive days (one work week) and then one afternoon a week for the first five months with once a month trainings following for the following seven months. This year long lecture program is mandatory for the leadership team. Lectures will be offered in a classroom setting. During the designated lecture times the leadership team will be presented with demonstrations, one-on-one tutorials, team role playing, and team projects. E-learning assignments will be on an individual basis and follow a weekly schedule. On the job training will begin when the sales associate training and mentoring program begins. The sales leadership team will be given feedback after each sales associate training.

Content for training and mentoring

The content for Train the Trainer will consist of how to create an in-house training program. The parts will consist of:

• The new training and mentoring needs
• Objectives of the training and mentoring program
• Performance standards
• Delivery methods
• Content for training and mentoring
• Time-frame
• Evaluation methods
• Feedback
• Alternate avenues for those who need further development

The leadership team will be expected to create this program with an expanding sales team in mind. The program must be able to work as well with 5 participants as 25. The program will incorporate the use of goal setting, behavior modeling, practice, and feedback.



Time-frame

This training program is one year. The majority of the training will be done in the first three months with the following months being used to make sure that the program progresses adequately. In the first three months the leadership sales team will be expected to create the in house sales team training and mentoring program. The training for the sales associates will begin in the sixth month of the leadership teams training. This will allow the trainer for the leadership team to evaluate the progress of the leadership team’s training skills. This on the job training will be beneficial for all members of the evaluation team to give rapid feedback in the success of the program. The sales associate team training will consist of weekly training for six months.


Evaluation methods

The leadership team will be evaluated through the use of performance evaluation forms. These will be completed by the senior management team (evaluation team) quarterly throughout the training. In addition, the leadership team will be evaluated by the senior management team (evaluation team) in their completion of the sales team training and mentoring program. This will be done through feedback after training sessions for the sales associates. Sales associates will also complete an evaluation after each training session using the Kirkpatrick levels.

1. Reaction - What does the learner feel about the training?
2. Learning - What facts, knowledge, etc., did the learner gain?
3. Behaviors - What skills did the learner develop, that is, what new information is the learner using on the job?
4. Results or effectiveness - What results occurred, that is, did the learner apply the new skills to the necessary tasks in the organization and, if so, what results were achieved?


Feedback

EnviroTech will be supplying feedback as soon as possible, to make the greatest impact on the sales leadership team. This means reviews of daily progress on the sales team training and mentoring program will be done nightly by the senior management team at Envirotech. This feedback can be expected to be both positive and negative in nature and will be reviewed by all leadership supervisors.

Alternate avenues for those who need further development

There will be the need for further development for all members of the leadership team because of the varied job descriptions for each member. Each member will also be attending outsourced trainings provided by various vendors to meet the varied training needs of each member. This will allow for each member to feel confident in his or her job title and description. These trainings may not be schedules during the first three months of the team training program.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the senior management team will be the evaluating body of this training and mentoring program. There will be a one week long training for all senior management in the evaluating of training management. This will assist the senior management team in creating performance standards for the leadership team.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

What are the similarities and differences between training a team and training an individual? Provide examples from your experience.

Many times training is discussed as an individual endeavor, but team performance is becoming more imperative in the workplace hence training teams together has become more popular. A team is a group of individuals training as a group toward a common outcome. It is important to have a strong goal for all members to identify with during the training process.
Team training requires:
1. Analysis
2. Objectives
3. Exercises and training based on objectives
4. Measures of team effectiveness
A team’s performance strongly depends on the individual expertise of its members, so individual training is a strong component of the team training, but team interactions must be addressed. This team interaction is what team training unique. These interactions can be practiced in real life situations and role playing. This will allow the strong training of both team and individual.

It is important for adult learners to understand how they learn to advance in their education? Can this be applied in training? How can this knowledge help trainers create an effective learning environment?

Everyone learns differently. It is important for adult learners to understand how they learn before they start to advance their education. During my teacher credential training we learned about the eight educational modalities:

Linguistic/Language: learns by listening, reading, verbalizing, enjoys discussion, likes word games, books, and records, and remembers verses, lyrics, and trivia.
Logical/Mathematical: thinks conceptually, uses clear reasoning, looks for abstract patterns and relationships, likes experimenting and testing things, likes classifying and categorizing.
Musical: thinks in tones, learns through rhythm and melody, enjoys playing musical instruments, remembers songs, and notices nonverbal sounds in the environment.
Spatial: likes mazes and jigsaw puzzles, likes to draw and design things, likes to build models, and likes films, slides, videos, diagrams, maps, and charts.
Bodily kinesthetic: processes knowledge through bodily sensations, communicates through gestures, moves or fidgets while sitting, learns by touching and manipulating, likes role playing, creative movement, and physical activity, enjoys fixing and building things.
Interpersonal: understands and cares about people, is the social child, has lots of friends, and learns from cooperative learning experiences, and likes group games.
Intrapersonal: enjoys working independently, likes to be alone, appears to be self-motivated, and needs quiet space and time.
Naturalist: investigates, experiments, questions, and finds out about elements of science, the phenomena of the natural world, weather patterns, growing things, animals, conditions that change characteristics (water changes from liquid to solid when frozen). (PBS, 2009)

This information can be used during training to assure that all types of learners have access to the training information. This empowers the learner to use techniques that work for them to internalize the training they are receiving. Trainers can use different training techniques to entice different types of learners through out the training process. Trainers that address all types of educational modalities and help their students to understand their learning modality find that students are more responsive to the training that is offered.


http://ping.fm/OYR8t

Is there any truth behind the training paradox? Explain why or why not and use examples for your rationale.

Training Paradox : Increasing an individual’s employability outside the company simultaneously increases his or her job security and desire to stay with current employer.

Many businesses decide not to train their workforce because they feel offering additional training to their employees will cause them be more employable to competitors. This can detrimental though to their company because employees will not be cutting edge or offering the “best in the business”. Employees may take employability into their own hands by keeping their skills updated and varied so they are able to work for anyone. As employees improve their employability they also become more valuable to their current employer, if their current company values skilled motivated employees. To motivated employees that keep their skills sharp money may entice them to work with a company, but the opportunity to continue to grow and learn will keep a motivated worker. I believe a highly trained workforce allows workers to feel confident about their skills and knowledge. This moves the corporate culture to that of a confident company. This culture grows and attracts other workers that crave a confident work environment.

What is the most influential factor that affects training (positive and or negative)? How does this influence training? Provide examples. As a trainer, how would you support or combat this influence?

When a business chooses to train their workers there are many factors that affect the training process. Top management needs to have a “buy-in” and commitment to the training and development. Training needs to be part of the corporate culture. If employees feel they are not supported by their management while training, they may not give the attention and commitment that the training deserves. Training needs to be tied to business strategy and objectives and needs to be linked to bottom line results. Workers want their organization to do well. They want to be able to contribute to the bottom line, especially in this economic climate. Employees that contribute to the bottom line are less likely to be laid off during tough times. Organizational environments are “feedback rich”; they stress continuous improvement, promote risk taking, and afford opportunities to learn from the success and failures of decisions. Without this freedom of allowing changes to the status quo workers are not able to use the training that they have acquired. Employers need to make a commitment to invest the necessary resources, to provide sufficient time and money for training. Training is more than classroom time. There needs to be commitment of resources and funds to allow for the implementation of the training to take affect in the work environment. In the case of Six Sigma training the classroom is only the beginning of a much longer process. As a trainer it would be important to get the buy in of management before attempting to start training the workers. Training is a team effort.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Need to finish up HRM homework. Looking forward to working on my Training Plan. I think this should be an easier assignment for me.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Which do you consider more valuable, external or internal recruitment? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Explain. In your own company, where do you think the recruitment process should focus? Why?

When it comes to deciding which recruitment tool is more valuable external or internal recruitment I would have to say it depends on the position. Internal recruitment allows employers to reward employees by offering promotions and job advancement. Internal recruitment also allows the employers to have information regarding the employees’ attendance, work habits, and skill base on record. External recruitment allows departments to grow by bringing in new ideas and experience from other companies. Many times departments need “fresh blood” to motivate and explore new business plans. In my previous company a majority of the positions were filled externally. The bank was trying to hire much of the talent that was being released from bank layoffs. They hired many SBA Business Development Officers from Lehmann Brothers when they closed their lending. These BDOs were hired for three months only to be released when my bank closed its SBA department. I think hiring decisions need to be made on a position by position decision.

What is the value of understanding job analysis information as an operating manager? What can you accomplish from this information? How can you implement this into a productive work environment?

The value of understanding job analysis information as an operating manager is it creates a solid basis on which to make job-related employment decisions. Legally, job analyses plays an important role in the defense of employment practices. There are many other uses for this valuable information: Organizational Structure and Design, Human Resource Planning,
Job Evaluation and Compensation, Recruitment, Selection, Placement, Orientation, Training, and Development, Performance Management, Career Path Planning, Labor Relations, Engineering Design, and Job Design. Pat Evans in the opening situation planned to use this information to retain junior civil engineers at a higher level by finding out what the junior engineers can do, what they are looking for in a company, and what assignments will be best suited for them. The ability to retain the junior engineers for longer than three years will Western Water Company to retain a more seasoned work force.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

It is crucial for a manager to know and understand the fair employment laws? What can you do to create a supportive environment where these laws are understood by your employees? What communication strategies would you recommend?

It is important that workers start their career in an organization with a solid employee orientation and training. During this training it is imperative to introduce the fair employment laws to employees and let them know who they can reach within the organization to have these fair employment laws met. It is also essential to give these laws and company policies in a handbook that employees can reference at their own free will. As employment laws are updated through local, state, and federal laws online training programs can be used to share this information with employees and then test the workers on knowledge of the new laws. Human Resources can then track that every employee has been introduced to the law and tested. It is also the law that employment laws be posted on posters where all employees can see them. These posters are available at office supply stores and local Chambers of Commerce. All of this information must be recorded and tracked by Human Resources in case of investigations or future lawsuits. Human Resource departments can save the business money by carefully tracking fair employment laws and following them. When employees or the business terminate employment it is important that these laws are once again followed and recorded in case of future actions.

What can you do as a manager to keep your employees competitive in the 21st century business? How might you respond to challenges within the changing organizational environments, from a hierarchical, departmentalized environment to an environment where power is shared?

As a manager in the 21st Century it is important to keep your employees competitive. The seven dimensions to producing profit through people are:

1. Employment Security
2. Selective Hiring
3. Self-managed teams and decentralization
4. Comparatively high compensation contingent on organizational performance
5. Extensive training
6. Reduced differences in Status
7. Sharing of information

Employment Security is important to workers, employees do not want to feel as though they will improve productivity so much they will work themselves out of their jobs. Selective Hiring allows employees to be surrounded by others with similar skills such as teamwork that can not be trained.
Self -managed teams that allow workers to feel accountable for the operation and success of the organization. Comparatively high compensation contingent on organizational performance lets employees take part in the success of their organization. Extensive training allows employees to have a competitive advantage and a chance to better understand the position in which they are in or desire to be in. Reduced differences in Status allows employees to take part of stock options and bonuses that can usually be saved for Officers of the company. Sharing information with employees such as financial performances, strategy, and operational measures convey to an organizations members they are trusted. Using these seven dimensions to change the hierarchal environment of the business structure to a more open powered shared environment will be the challenge to many traditionally structure businesses in this economically challenged environment.

As a manager, explain the importance of understanding the controllable and uncontrollable financial impacts on a business environment? What can you do to limit these financial constraints?

As a Manager I have an annual budget which is then broken up into Fiscal Quarters. As a marketing manager I have ad spends, sponsorships, promotional items, staffing and additional items. These are considered my more controllable financial impacts. However our Chief Operations Officers may make changes to my budget throughout the year that affects the company as a whole. Last year the majority of my budget changes were made at the staffing level. When the banking bubble first burst, changes were made to our staff training budget. All trainings were cancelled until further notice. The next budget change was the freezing of all staff salaries for the next calendar year. These changes started to affect general moral and some employees found other employment at this time because of the bank’s uncertainty. This caused Officers of the bank to decide whether these employees would be replaced or not. The decision was made not to replace any employees. As the banking arena started a downward spiral the bank started to face uncontrollable financial impacts of Small Business Administration loans failing and deposits dwindling down to FDIC insured amounts. This caused the bank to decide to release the SBA loan department and 10% of its work force. The layoffs were the banks way of limiting financial constraits.